ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The Navy women's basketball team will continue its early 2025 run of Patriot League contests with its second straight road game as the Mids will travel to Easton, Pa. for a Sunday matinee versus the Lafayette Leopards. Coming off a victory at American on Thursday night, Navy (9-3, 1-0 PL) will be looking to open conference play at 2-0 for the first time since 2013-14 against a Lafayette (4-8, 1-0 PL) team that it swept three games from last season. Tip-off at the Kirby Sports Center is set for 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

The Navy-Lafayette game will have live stats provided online, as well as be broadcast on the ESPN+ platform. ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that requires patrons to sign-up for monthly or yearly plans prior to tuning into the contest.

Navy versus Lafayette
The Mids and Leopards have met 84 times in a series that began on Feb. 16, 1980  ... All-time, Navy leads Lafayette, 56-28 with a 34-10 advantage in games played in Annapolis and a smaller 20-17 edge in matchups in Easton ... Both squads have swept a season series over the past two years, Lafayette 2-0 in 2023 and Navy 3-0 in 2024 ... Last February's win by the Mids in Easton was the program's first at the Kirby Sports Center since the 2018 season ... In the last ten overall matchups of the series, Lafayette has secured six wins, including a four-game streak over the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
    Last Five Games:
    March 9, 2024 (H): Navy 67 - Lafayette 45
    Feb. 28, 2024 (A): Navy 58 - Lafayette 49
    Jan. 13, 2024 (H): Navy 56 - Lafayette 47
    March 1, 2023 (H): Lafayette 74 - Navy 64
    Jan. 11, 2023 (A): Lafayette 69 - Navy 57

Most Recent Navy-Lafayette Matchup ... March 9, 2024 in Annapolis
Coming in on a three-game winning streak to close the regular season, the Navy women's basketball team kept up its successful brand of play on Saturday with a dominant victory over Lafayette in the first round of the 2024 Patriot League Tournament. Seeded seventh for the tournament, the Mids (14-16) fought through a tough first quarter before shutting down the tenth-seeded Leopards (10-20) over the final five minutes of the second quarter and most of the third quarter. From the 5:31 juncture of the second stanza when it was 19-17 through the conclusion of the third, Navy out-scored Lafayette 33-8 to break open the game and cruise to the 67-45 win at Alumni Hall.

The Mids' received a complete team effort as nine different players scored, while three players, who went without a made field goal left their mark in an impactful manner as Violet McNece posted a team-high +27 off the bench, while Toni Papahronis assisted on a game-high five baskets with a +26 and Maren Louridas grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Offensively, Zanai Barnett-Gay led a trio of Mids in double-figures as she finished with 15 points and five steals. Kate Samson controlled the post on both ends of the court with 13 points and two blocks, while Sydne Watts led a dominant bench performance with 10 points and a pair of three-pointers. As a unit, Navy's bench out-scored Lafayette 30-4 on Saturday.

Ahead 13-12 after one quarter of play, following a buzzer-beating jumper by Barnett-Gay that gave the Mids a lead that they wouldn't relinquish for the remaining 30 minutes, they had to navigate some back-and-forth action to start the second quarter that saw them build out a four-point lead twice before the Leopards answered back in both occasions. With the score 19-17 at 5:31, Navy turned up its defensive intensity and held Lafayette without a field goal for the rest of the half. That intensity affected the offensive side of the ball too as they missed just two shots during that same span, while collecting 14 points. The senior bench duo of Sydne Watts and Morganne Andrews spearheaded the Mids with all 14 points as Watts scored the first five before Andrews rattled off six straight over three possessions from 2:17 to 1:05. A three-pointer by Watts on Navy's last time down the court ended the half with the Mids ahead 33-18. Navy's buzzing defense forced Lafayette into six turnovers and allowed the Leopards to only take nine shots in the entire period. The Mids converted those errors into eight points. Additionally, of Navy's 20 points in the stanza, 18 came from its bench, 10 from Watts, six from Andrews and the final two from Gia Pissott.

Leading by 15 points, the Mids extended their advantage to 20 points within the first 2:38 of the second half as they turned their offensive attention to Samson, who scored all six points, while the Leopards were only able to muster one free throw. The visitors broke their nine-minute streak without a field goal at 6:29 with a Mikayla Andrews jumper. That success was short-lived as Barnett-Gay immediately came down the court and banged home a three-pointer to put Navy up 21, 42-21. The Mids' defense re-engaged its constricting ways on the Leopards over the final five minutes of the period and allowed just four points on a pair of made field goals. Similar to the second quarter, Navy's offense clicked into gear at the same time to the tune of 10 points to make it a 52-25 game through three quarters.

Lafayette attempted its final comeback to start the fourth period as they went on a 9-2 run over the opening three minutes. With the score 54-34, Navy assured itself that it would advance to the quarterfinals of the Patriot League Tournament and never allowed the tenth-seeded Leopards to get closer than 20 the rest of the game. In control, the Mids extended their lead to a game-high 29 of 65-36 after a 45-second stretch of play between 3:37 and 2:55 when Morgan Demos went back-to-back with a three-pointer, the first of her career, and a pair of free throws. A 9-2 run by Lafayette to conclude the contest finalized the score at 67-45 on Saturday.

For the game, Lafayette out-shot Navy from the field slightly, 33.3 percent (17-51) to 32.3 (21-65) and from three-point range, 33.3 percent (4-12) to 26.3 (5-19). The Mids were nearly flawless from the foul line with an 87.0 percent (20-23) to 63.6 (7-11) advantage.

Comparing the Teams

(2024-25 Stats)	Navy	Lafayette
Record / League-Only	9-3 / 1-0 PL	4-8 / 1-0 PL
Home / Away / Neut. Record	4-3 / 4-0 / 1-0	2-3 / 2-5 / 0-0
Points Per Game	70.6 PPG	55.9 PPG
Points Allowed Per Game	59.3 PPG	68.5 PPG
Field Goal Percentage	38.6 %	37.6 %
3-Point Percentage	32.3 %	30.6 %
Free Throw Percentage	64.7 %	76.5 %
Rebounds Per Game	44.5 RPG	33.0 RPG
Assists/Turnovers Per Game	14.5 / 15.4	12.1 / 13.9
Common Non-PL Opponents	Wagner - W, 79-46 Dartmouth - L, 61-58 (ot)	Wagner - W, 74-45 Dartmouth - L, 60-47

Individual Leaders

(2024-25 Stats)	Navy	Lafayette
Points Per Game	Zanai Barnett-Gay, 19.6 ppg	Abby Antognoli, 12.8 ppg
Rebounds Per Game	Z. Barnett-Gay, 7.2 rpg	A. Antognoli, 5.0 rpg
Assists Per Game	Z. Barnett-Gay, 3.2 apg	A. Antognoli, 3.5 apg
Field Goal Percentage	Kate Samson, 49.5 %	Tasha Chudy, 44.1 %
3-Point Percentage	Mary Gibbons, 42.1 %	Sauda Ntaconayigize, 37.3 %
Free Throw Percentage	Z. Barnett-Gay, 76.7 %	Kay Donahue, 88.5 %

Last Time Out -- Thursday, January 2 at American in Washington, D.C. 
The Navy women's basketball team kept up its momentum from a strong non-conference performance with a 66-59 victory over American University on the road on Thursday night. Starting strong with 21 points in the first quarter, the Mids (9-3, 1-0 PL) weathered an even 20 minutes of play in the middle of the contest before breaking out to a 13-point advantage in the fourth quarter and holding off the Eagles (0-12, 0-1 PL) down the stretch at Bender Arena.

Zanai Barnett-Gay was everywhere for Navy as she filled the box score with a game-high 26 points to go along with seven rebounds, five assists and two steals. The Mids leaned on their bench for secondary scoring on Thursday with Mary Gibbons and Morgan Demos combining for 22 points, 13 for Gibbons and nine for Demos. A career-high scoring total by Demos was augmented by a career-best rebounding effort of 12 rebounds over 29 minutes of action in the post.

Coming off a 27-point game versus Delaware before the extended holiday break, Barnett-Gay was back to her high-scoring ways almost immediately on Thursday as she opened the game with all seven of Navy's points over the first 2:01 of action. After Ellie Pingree drew American even at 7-7 at 7:26, back-to-back baskets from Julianna Almeida and Demos jolted Navy out into the lead. Though challenged throughout the majority of the ensuing 37:11 and tied twice, Almeida's field goal spotted the Mids a lead that they would never relinquish for the rest of the game. With the score 11-7 at 6:04 both teams traded shots for most of the next three minutes with American twice pulling within one before Navy had rebuttals. Ahead by just one, 18-17 with less than two minutes in the quarter, Gibbons loudly entered the box score as knocked down a three-pointer to re-extended the Mids' advantage to four at the break, 21-17.

The competitive shot-for-shot action continued into the second quarter as baskets by Maren Louridas and Almeida were answered by a pair of Laura Nogues makes, the first a three-pointer and the second an 'and-one' conversion that tied the score at 25-25 at the 7:40 juncture of the quarter. A driving layup by Barnett-Gay briefly put Navy back into the lead before an immediate answer on the other end by American. With the score tied 27-27, the Mids scored six of the next seven points to re-build their lead out to five, 33-28 by 4:08. Each team recorded four points down the stretch as they retired to the locker room at halftime with the score 37-32.

The three-ball sparked Navy in the early happenings of the third quarter as makes by Louridas, Barnett-Gay and Gibbons in quick succession bolstered the Mids' attack out to a 46-38 advantage over the initial 2:45 of the period. Unfortunately for the visitors those were their only made field goals of the quarter as they were only able to muster three free throws to their grand total of 12 points. With their shot not falling, the Mids buckled down defensively and held the Eagles fairly in-check as the hosts only shaved one point off their halftime deficit with 13 points to their name in the third quarter.

Through 30 minutes of play and the score 49-45, Navy made a concerted effort to put some breathing room between itself and American out of the gate to start the fourth quarter. An efficient span of play over the first four and a half minutes did just that as the Mids broke out to a 13-point lead courtesy of an 11-2 run. A pair of fast break layups, first by Gibbons as part of an 'and-one' at 7:24 and later a Papahronis block and then reception of a lengthy Almeida lead pass at 5:24 capped this fruitful stretch for Navy and made it 60-47. Four successful foul shots and a Demos offensive rebound and tip-in rounded out the Mids' scoring over the final five minutes to seal the 66-59 victory.

For the game, American out-shot Navy from the field, 40.4 percent (21-52) to 36.9 (24-65) and from three-point range, 26.7 percent (4-15) to 21.7 (5-23). The Mids held a slight edge at the foul line, 68.4 percent (13-19) to 65.0 (13-20).

Navy continued its run of strong rebounding efforts as it out-grabbed American by seven on Thursday, 42-35 with a dominant 19-10 advantage in offensive rebounds. Demos led all players with a career-best 12 caroms, six on the offensive end and six on the defensive side. Barnett-Gay and Almeida each gathered seven rebounds.